Man Hit By Car After Crashing Own Truck in Rhinebeck: Cops

A driver who was assessing damage to his vehicle after a single-car crash on Dec. 17 was hospitalized with life-threatening injuries after he was struck by another vehicle, the Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office announced.

Vincent Dillard, Sr., 56, of Warwarsing was traveling westbound on Slate Quarry Road in Rhinebeck around 1:45 p.m. Tuesday afternoon when he lost control of his pickup truck on a sharp curve, police said. The truck then struck an embankment and came to rest in a nearby driveway on White School House Road, police said.

Dillard stepped out of the vehicle to assess the damage, and while attempting to change a tire was struck by a 2018 Volkswagen GTI being driven by Steven Gerlet II, 47, of New York City, police said.

The car driven by Gerlet had also been traveling westbound on Slate Quarry Road and lost control on the same sharp curve that sent Dillard’s vehicle off the asphalt, police said. Dillard was taken to Mid-Hudson Regional Hospital with life-threatening injuries.

While the investigation continues, police believe the road's slippery surface and “unsafe speeds” for the conditions played a factor in the incident.